Henna disaster-- plz help my momma get her hair black

[Eritreladiee]

I need to get my mom's hair black for tonight

So far she's henna'd 3 times in a matter of a couple days. 1st was a indigo/henna mixture which left her grey hair a dark red. 2nd time she henna'd, then indigo'd afterward-- still not black. And last night she slept overnight with a henna/indigo mix in her hair (mostly indigo) and her grey hair still isn't black!

I really don't know what to do and I feel bad because this whole thing was my idea. I know she can't buy a box of black dye, but does anyone have a quick fix? Please just no more henna-- her hair is dry as hell and she doesn't have time to deep condition and all that (she's busy and will be hosting an event tonight)

Any advice is appreciated
TIA

 

[january noir]

Gray hair is resistant and can take several treatments to cover completely.

The best advice I can give since she's hosting an event tonight is to get a wig. There isn't much you can do today in order for her to be ready tonight.

I wouldn't recommend a chemical over that now. She should do a deep deep conditioner to restore her moisture today and do it several times over the week.

Where did you purchase your henna?

 

[january noir]

Another question is what was in your mix? Henna performs perfectly with just plain water and a tbsp of oil, if that.

 

[200AndOne]

Just wanted to again stress the importance of your mom DC'ing asap. Henna can be very drying, especially after 3 treatments, she'll need to up the moisture level so that her hair doesn't start snapping off. If she does decide to go the wig route, may want to consider DC'ing w/ a plastic cap under the wig. Good Luck

 

[yodie]

Just curious, when your mom did the henna/indigo treatment, how did she rinse the henna out before applying indigo? I'm asking because the first time I henna'd, I rinsed with conditioner. That kept the indigo from showing black on my hair.

Wigging it for your moms event is a great idea. If she doesn't want to deep condition (she should), then she should immediately start spritzing her hair with scurl spray and baggy, in order to lock in moisture.

 

[VinDieselsWifey]

i would also suggest some deep condish treatments ASAP and lay off the henna for a while. i've never done 3 henna treatments back to back like that.

did you use the indigo immediately after mixing it?

when i used indigo, i henna'd for a few hours, RINSED IT OUT, then mixed the indigo with hot (but not boiling) water, then used it immediately

unlike henna, once you mix indigo you need to use it right away. the longer it is exposed to air, the more color it loses.

 

[MissYocairis]

I agree with these ladies. Henna and indigo are VERY drying and your mother's hair is already on the dry side. She HAS to DC. She really does or else her hair is gonna start snapping. And, if she blow dries and flat irons without DC'ing, she is in for trouble.

3 Henna treatments is a LOT. I have some gray and I used to henna/indigo. I had the same issue with burgundy roots wherever there was gray. I had to play with the mixture using way more indigo than henna to get the gray strands dark enough to blend. It's too late now. I think the wig idea is good and definitely DC'ing with a plastic cap underneath.

If she abolutely refuses a wig....the only other thing I can suggest is kinda ghetto... She can style her hair, then use a lil black mascara in the front on her burgundy roots to make it blend some with the rest of her hair. Since she'd be styling with heat, she will need a creamy leave in and some serum mixed...then a heat protectant before flat ironing. And, she'll have to be VERY careful because her hair is in a very vulnerable state right now.

But, she'll need to come home tonight, after the event, wash with moisturizing poo in that front, and then DC overnight! I wouldn't recommend trying any more henna or indigo at least for 3 weeks or so. I know the mascara thing is ghetto but it works in a pinch. They also sell hair color crayons for root touchups at Sally's but I've never tried one and don't know whether they are dangerous or not for dry, relaxed hair.

I'm so sorry this happened!

 

[MissYocairis]

Forgot to mention, your mom needs to religiously deep condition her hair with moisture only conditioners and some coconut oil (or evoo) and a lil honey mixed at least once a week for the next month or so. Religiously.

Henna dried out my hair furiously over time. I used it for almost two years WITH dc treatments and eventually, my hair became so unhappy and dry (that's WITH regular dc'ing). I had to stop and go back to using just the standard black rinses. It's not for everyone and should be used with caution. And, 3 treatments in a span of two days with no deep conditioning could kill her hair if she isn't careful.

 

[Eritreladiee]

Thanks you guys for your responses! Definitely my mom will be doing some serious DC'ing after today, her hair is soooo thirsty right now.

Gray hair is resistant and can take several treatments to cover completely.


The best advice I can give since she's hosting an event tonight is to get a wig. There isn't much you can do today in order for her to be ready tonight.

I wouldn't recommend a chemical over that now. She should do a deep deep conditioner to restore her moisture today and do it several times over the week.

Where did you purchase your henna?

Damn! I didn't realize it would be so resistant! But I will say that each time it has gotten better. We purchased the henna from some Indian grocer and the indigo she picked up from the hennasooq

Another question is what was in your mix? Henna performs perfectly with just plain water and a tbsp of oil, if that.

Well the first mixture was 3/4 indigo 1/4 henna, water and conditioner. The second time was a two- step process 1st henna, water, conditoner mix-- then after an indigo and salt mix. 3rd time was 3/4, 1/4 henna and just water.

Just curious, when your mom did the henna/indigo treatment, how did she rinse the henna out before applying indigo? I'm asking because the first time I henna'd, I rinsed with conditioner. That kept the indigo from showing black on my hair.

Wigging it for your moms event is a great idea. If she doesn't want to deep condition (she should), then she should immediately start spritzing her hair with scurl spray and baggy, in order to lock in moisture.

My mom uses sulfate shampoos-- I think redken (sp?) so I know she rinsed it out well. The first time she mixed the indigo and henna, but used more indigo i think it was 3/4 to 1/4 as recommended by the hennasooq lady. BUt the 2nd time she did a 2-step and followed up strictly with indigo and still not black. Yeah, I think a good spray leave-in for the time being is gonna have to do for now

i would also suggest some deep condish treatments ASAP and lay off the henna for a while. i've never done 3 henna treatments back to back like that.

did you use the indigo immediately after mixing it?

when i used indigo, i henna'd for a few hours, RINSED IT OUT, then mixed the indigo with hot (but not boiling) water, then used it immediately

unlike henna, once you mix indigo you need to use it right away. the longer it is exposed to air, the more color it loses.

Her 2nd attempt, she indigo'd afterward and we let the mix sit for 15 minutes first (and we added salt to it) Maybe that was the problem-- waiting to long. Maybe in the future we'll use it right away

I agree with these ladies. Henna and indigo are VERY drying and your mother's hair is already on the dry side. She HAS to DC. She really does or else her hair is gonna start snapping. And, if she blow dries and flat irons without DC'ing, she is in for trouble.

3 Henna treatments is a LOT. I have some gray and I used to henna/indigo. I had the same issue with burgundy roots wherever there was gray. I had to play with the mixture using way more indigo than henna to get the gray strands dark enough to blend. It's too late now. I think the wig idea is good and definitely DC'ing with a plastic cap underneath.

If she abolutely refuses a wig....the only other thing I can suggest is kinda ghetto... She can style her hair, then use a lil black mascara in the front on her burgundy roots to make it blend some with the rest of her hair. Since she'd be styling with heat, she will need a creamy leave in and some serum mixed...then a heat protectant before flat ironing. And, she'll have to be VERY careful because her hair is in a very vulnerable state right now.

But, she'll need to come home tonight, after the event, wash with moisturizing poo in that front, and then DC overnight! I wouldn't recommend trying any more henna or indigo at least for 3 weeks or so. I know the mascara thing is ghetto but it works in a pinch. They also sell hair color crayons for root touchups at Sally's but I've never tried one and don't know whether they are dangerous or not for dry, relaxed hair.

I'm so sorry this happened!

Thanks! It really sux that this happened! Yeah, my mom is against the wig. So we shall see about the mascara

Also, whats your mixture?

 

[sharifeh]

The mascara idea sounds like a good idea. Also you may want to give her a hot oil treatment in addition to DCing with moisture too (with any oil) to help infuse moisture back into her hair.

 

[heyfranz]

I agree with all about the DC'ing. She won't have any hair to color if she doesn't put moisture back into it. The henna is no joke when it comes to drying out your hair

 

[laurend]

I have a lot of gray and I only henna and indigo my new growth every 3 weeks and it works. I henna for one hour, rinse, and apply indigo for two hours to get the gray covered.

 

[jamaraa]

Hey girl...sorry this happened. For now I'd get a dark temporary rinse like Manic Panic, Jazzing or something....it'll temporarily cover the grey (not sure how fully) but it'll do in a snap sutch like this. You can get a black or blie-black Jazzing at most conventional BBS stores like Sallys.

It shouldn't have any negative interactions w/ the henna/indigo.

 

[Eritreladiee]

Hey girl...sorry this happened. For now I'd get a dark temporary rinse like Manic Panic, Jazzing or something....it'll temporarily cover the grey (not sure how fully) but it'll do in a snap sutch like this. You can get a black or blie-black Jazzing at most conventional BBS stores like Sallys.

It shouldn't have any negative interactions w/ the henna/indigo.

Thanks jamaraa. I'll let my mum know about this. I doubt she'll do it now because of time (mascara will have to do) but I'm certain she'll do it tomorrow. This whole thing has been such a headache-- inshallah the rinse will do the trick.

 

[jamaraa]

Eritreladiee are you going for a hendigo blue-black for your mother as the ultimate goal? If so, it'll take some time for it to build up w/ the henna/indigo, but the blue black rinse (or a plain black one) will cancel out any henna red in the meantime.

Some of the chicks on LHC use rinses and henna mixed together and have no problems, but I wouldn't recommend this. I would simply use the rinse as a cover up. It'll just wash out and leave nothing permanent. Let's call it tiding over!

 

[IDareT'sHair]

If I still have the Stain from the Henna, sometimes, I will just do Indigo (alone) mixed with Salt & Warm water and it sufficently covers my Grey. And My hair turns out black/darkest brown. (And since your Mom has Henna'ed 3 times, I am certain there is stain on her grey, enough to just apply indigo)

And No.....My Hair has never turned Green

 

[Eritreladiee]

Eritreladiee are you going for a hendigo blue-black for your mother as the ultimate goal? If so, it'll take some time for it to build up w/ the henna/indigo, but the blue black rinse (or a plain black one) will cancel out any henna red in the meantime.

Some of the chicks on LHC use rinses and henna mixed together and have no problems, but I wouldn't recommend this. I would simply use the rinse as a cover up. It'll just wash out and leave nothing permanent. Let's call it tiding over!

I really wish I knew about the colour needing to build up earlier. My moms always hated henna, but I convinced her to try it with indigo and this how it turned out .... Anywho, she's over the henndigo. If the rinse works out today, she'll probably stick to it til she could go back to regular dye.

 

[Aggie]

I need to get my mom's hair black for tonight

So far she's henna'd 3 times in a matter of a couple days. 1st was a indigo/henna mixture which left her grey hair a dark red. 2nd time she henna'd, then indigo'd afterward-- still not black. And last night she slept overnight with a henna/indigo mix in her hair (mostly indigo) and her grey hair still isn't black!

I really don't know what to do and I feel bad because this whole thing was my idea. I know she can't buy a box of black dye, but does anyone have a quick fix? Please just no more henna-- her hair is dry as hell and she doesn't have time to deep condition and all that (she's busy and will be hosting an event tonight)

Any advice is appreciated
TIA

BY what I understand in your post, I think your mom's real issue is lack of black color. I would recommend using the indigo separately on it's own and not mixed in with the henna next time.

I have a recipe in my fotki that I hope will be helpful to you. What your mom need is a two step henna and indigo treatment.

Since she has henna dye already released into her hair, she only need the indigo now by itself. Like JN said, gray hair is very resistant and need the indigo by itself to give the black results you are looking to achieve.

Remember to deep condition welll and moisturize the hair afterwards. She nay even need to baggy her hair a few nights as well to gain optimal moisture levels after the treatments.

 

[Eritreladiee]

BY what I understand in your post, I think your mom's real issue is lack of black color. I would recommend using the indigo separately on it's own and not mixed in with the henna next time.

I have a recipe in my fotki that I hope will be helpful to you. What your mom need is a two step henna and indigo treatment.

Since she has henna dye already released into her hair, she only need the indigo now by itself. Like JN said, gray hair is very resistant and need the indigo by itself to give the black results you are looking to achieve.

Remember to deep condition welll and moisturize the hair afterwards. She nay even need to baggy her hair a few nights as well to gain optimal moisture levels after the treatments.

Thanks, I read your fokti. And I'm thinking maybe our technique is part of the problem (the second time we did a 2step henna followed by indigo)

But for 1, we waited 15 minutes to apply the indigo, 2 we left it on for only an hour and 3, we didn't wrap it. Even for me, it made my hair black, but not a blue black... :scratchch

 

[Aggie]

If I still have the Stain from the Henna, sometimes, I will just do Indigo (alone) mixed with Salt & Warm water and it sufficently covers my Grey. And My hair turns out black/darkest brown. (And since your Mom has Henna'ed 3 times, I am certain there is stain on her grey, enough to just apply indigo)

And No.....My Hair has never turned Green

ITA with the bolded, I have never had ANY green hair results using henna and indigo.

 

[Aggie]

Thanks, I read your fokti. And I'm thinking maybe our technique is part of the problem (the second time we did a 2step henna followed by indigo)

But for 1, we waited 15 minutes to apply the indigo, 2 we left it on for only an hour and 3, we didn't wrap it. Even for me, it made my hair black, but not a blue black... :scratchch

You're welcomed hun. Also, try applying the indigo to slightly damp hair. This method seem to work better on my resistant gray strands as well.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

ITA with the bolded, I have never had ANY green hair results using henna and indigo.

Yes If I have sufficient stain, I will only apply the Indigo, wrap in Saran wrap and leave on for an hour or two.

I've been good using Indigo w/o Henna if there is still some stain on the hair.

And since her Mom Henna'd 3 times, she should be fine just applying a healthy coat of Indigo sans Henna.

Should result in Rich Black/Brownish Black Shiny Hair.

 

[♦K.O♦]

The quick fix would be to apply a pure indigo mixture (no henna) and sit under the dryer for an hr. Deep condition with a moisturizing DC. Your mom's hair should be black after this.

 

[jamaraa]

Aggie

Eritreladiee Two steps are better than one step for blackness, but it still takes time to build up to the color you're seeking, esp when greys are involved. It (indigo) has to be left on 2+ hrs if you're going for super dark black. Again it builds w/ each application. People generally see a diff in color by the 3rd application of henna+indigo.

If the whole henna thing is a turn off for her, semipermanent dyes mught be the best bet.

 

[jamaraa]

Yes If I have sufficient stain, I will only apply the Indigo, wrap in Saran wrap and leave on for an hour or two.

I've been good using Indigo w/o Henna if there is still some stain on the hair.

And since her Mom Henna'd 3 times, she should be fine just applying a healthy coat of Indigo sans Henna.

Should result in Rich Black/Brownish Black Shiny Hair.

I've done this myself before...my hair's already black (even before doing any of this ) so I can't tell if it made anything darker, but it certainly hurt nothing. It's worth a try if your henna's still only 2-3 days "fresh".

 

[Aggie]

Aggie

Eritreladiee Two steps are better than one step for blackness, but it still takes time to build up to the color you're seeking, esp when greys are involved. It (indigo) has to be left on 2+ hrs if you're going for super dark black. Again it builds w/ each application. People generally see a diff in color by the 3rd application of henna+indigo.

If the whole henna thing is a turn off for her, semipermanent dyes mught be the best bet.

jamaraa. I trust everything is going well with you?